If I'm on a community crappie hole, 15' is cool with me. If I'm on a great expanse of water without a soul in sight, 1/4 mile is tooooooo close!

If they are quiet, I don't care how close they are.

If they are loud, they couldn't be far enough away.

It depends...

There is a good early ice walleye drop off that another angler and I know about. We ran into each other last year for the first time, talked a little and discovered we have both been early ice fishing this location for years. So we set up 20 feet apart and caught some eyes together.

But most of the time I like my solitude, bottle of brandy and hot pot of tea. So I seek out some of the less fished locations. But I'm willing to have some company if a fellow is roaming the lake.

The only time I was upset is when a party van full of drunk college students setup next to me on Bald Eagle lake. Not that I minded the girls running around in underwear.....

I would've opened the door, opened my fly, and pi$$ed all over the portable. Wouldn't have made any friends, I'm sure, but it would get the point across IMO.

Idiots.

if there really close i always like to make a little extra noise when i catch fish and they dont

Blaze, Is that why my portable was wet the other day?

I generaly don't set-up closer than 50 ft. to someone.
Last year my son and I stayed overnight in the perm, (I had parked my wheeler on the back side of the shack) and woke
up to an auger at 6:30 A.M. wich is fine but when my son who
was 9 at the time walked out of the shack and almost steped in
a freshly cut hole with a tip-up in it NO MORE THAN A FOOT
away from the door. He quickly folded the tip-up and stuffed
it down the hole, needless to say the guy wasn't very happy
then after he left my son grabs the camara and fishes the tip-up out of the water and now one tip-up richer.

Hey Chad; smart kid.

If I am going to a spot I have fished before, I usually go right to where I want to go, but make a quick round to ask others in the area if it's OK to fish there if there is a question of proximity. Otherwise I try to leave the crowds alone if possible. My wife's uncle starts singing "Oh My Darling Clementine" quite poorly when people move in too close to him. I may take up that habit for myself.

Not only when an individual,and/or the others set up too close to what I consider your own personal fishing space for that day is irritating.. But also the ones driving out to a spot and they drive so close that the water is going up and down in the holes! all the way up to the eyelets in your boots!! I will walk up to a group or a couple individuals after parking away.. Unless I am with my dad brothers or friends I respect others personal fishing space and spots for that day.. During late ice,when you are hole hopping with one fishing pole, it may be slightly differant.. good luck guy's.. and have fun..

I can live with people setting up somewhat close, as long as they are not out drilling holes at peak fishing time (1+ hours either side of sundown).

What is most frustrating for me is the snomobilers that feel the need to buzz w/i 10-20 ft by your shack or you on the open ice going full open trottle.

Ya had it comin' Jimmy - you was crowdin' me!

I like to keep my distance when possible it is tough sometimes on the smaller lakes with limited structure.

The people that drive their trucks and sleds right by you tick me off, we had a guy drive his truck between my wife's sled and our portable last year...there was probably 30 feet between the 2 and NOTHING on the other side of the sled until shore a 1/4 mile away. I couldn't believe it, I almost flipped the portable open because I thought he was going to hit us.

I have had sleds drive within feet of tip ups....I know those blaze orange round frabills are hard to see. LOL

Where I fish normally I don't have anyone around me and as far as they know I never catch a fish

And when I am on other lakes where there is people I normally strike up a conversation with them and many times they tell me to go get my stuff and they have even popped a hole for me while I was moving over.

But if they don't want company I will fish on the other side if the lake, makes no difference to me.

What I don't like is when I am not around, and it has snowed, and they drill closed to the permanent to be out of the wind and the hole floods and freezes down the permanent

Those people I would care to have a discussion with

One time on a south metro lake I hade two guys using my perm for a wind break. They were leaning up up against it and drilled holes two feet away from it. I wasn't there when it happened but the holes, cig butts, and urine stains made it obvious what happened.

If it is a community spot, gauge how close others are to each other and call it good. If someone is out by themself though and you have never fished that spot before don't crowd them!

I hate it when I'm fishing all by myself and guys come honing right in on me and set up 30 yds away. I know lakes are public but come on!

All it comes down to is common sense and respect. If a guy is all by himself don't crowd him, he's by himself for a reason. He doesn't want a crowd!